The Audubon Observer
Volume XII, No. 4
A publication of the Duval Audubon Society
President’s Message
I’m finding it quite challenging to write my last
President’s Message. This May I finish my third
term as your president leaving the door opened for
new leadership for our Audubon chapter. It has been
an interesting three years for me, culminating in a
full page article in Water’s Edge, discovering the
Greater Sand-Plover with Doris Leary and Lesley
Royce and ultimately receiving the Bob and Carol
Grimes Environmental Award. I could not even
imagine greater rewards than that.
As a chapter we have had many ac-
complishments and recognitions in-
cluding the Best Chapter Display at “You are
the 2009 Audubon Assembly for
―educating others on the importance important to
of beach nesting birds‖; press cover-
age for our Bird Stewarding at Hu- this chapter.”
guenot and our achievements for the
Air Potato Roundup at the Crosby
Sanctuary. But all of that is behind
us and there is so much more ahead of us. What is
coming up needs our focus and attention. Earth Day
at the Jacksonville Zoo on Saturday and Sunday,
April 24 and 25 still needs volunteers to work the
Duval Audubon table and display and the Wild
Amelia Nature Festival on May 21 – 23 should be
on your calendar to remind you to attend.
Of course you already marked your calendar for
Saturday, May 15 for the Duval Audubon Annual
Picnic at the Powell’s Farm. It is at this event that
we install newly elected officers and directors. For
that to happen we need some folks to step up to the
plate and volunteer their time and talents. I will be
Meetings are held the third Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at
Swain Memorial Methodist Church, 1620 Naldo Avenue in San Marco.
Please visit our website at http://www.duvalaudubon.org/ for updated events,
important local conservation efforts, and articles relating to conservation and birding.
April—May 2010
Serving Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties
bringing the Lee Adams Cedar Waxwing print to
hand off to the new president. Will you be taking it
home to hang in your living room?
What does the president do you ask? To be honest,
the job can be demanding, but only as demanding
as you allow. There are monthly board meetings for
you to set the agenda for and lead; monthly pro-
grams where you open with announcements and get
your speaker introduced; phone calls
and e-mails to respond to; arrange
for you or another to represent Du-
val Audubon at the Annual Audubon
Assembly; attend quarterly Regional
Conservation Committee meetings;
and Annual Audubon Academy ses-
sions. Then of course, you have
newsletter articles, annual chapter
recertification reports and Regional
Conservation Committee reports.
Hopefully I haven’t scared anyone off; I just want
to be open and honest about the responsibilities of
the chapter president. If you have any questions
please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of the
board members. You are important to this chapter
and to the leadership of this chapter. Please give it
serious thought and make the move to take the
reins.
.
Carole Adams
Carole A. Adams,
President
April and May Programs
A tale of two species – Red Knots and Donax in
NE Florida
Monday, April 19, 7:30pm
Speaker: Pat Leary
The program will provide an overview of Red Knot populations
and movements in NE Florida with an emphasis on spring migra-
tion. We will focus on the function of critical habitats in local
inlets, a forage base unassociated with Horseshoe Crabs, the status
and origin of knots stopping-over in spring and increasing human
impacts to the habitats and birds. Banding data and tracking of
migrants will be discussed, as well as ongoing research here and
elsewhere in the hemisphere.
The Red Knot species has one of the longest migrations among
birds--from southern South America (its wintering area) to its arc-
tic breeding ground. During this long migration, many of these
birds stop to rest and forage in some special places in northeast
Florida. Find out what makes these special places so critical to
these birds and what threatens the Red Knots’ survival.
What’s Going on at Huguenot?
Spring is in the air, and bird migration is in process! Along with
some faithful volunteers, I still conduct the bird survey every week
at Huguenot Memorial City Park. And love is in the air! Laugh-
ing gulls are arriving by the hundreds. Yes, I know, they’re only
GULLS! And although we might wish there were a lot fewer gulls
around, they do play an important role in the balance of nature—
from eating fish and jellyfish washed up on the beach to also eat-
ing trash that we humans create. Still, right now, it is quite heart-
ening, and amusing even, to watch them pair up. In their
―breeding bird finery,‖ they will sidle up to a potential mate and
stand shoulder-to-shoulder, looking suggestively at each
other. Once a partner is found, they will soon be nesting in the
dunes. Later, the new parents will escort their chicks to the
beach.
There are a lot of other more noteworthy bird happenings at Hu-
guenot. The Royal Terns are starting to arrive. They also nest in
this park, as do Sandwich Terns. We expect to soon see Least
Terns arrive. Wilson’s Plovers also are making a presence. This
park has historically been one of the nesting sites for this species,
but not so much in recent years. More about that later…
And I must not forget the Red Knots. The program this month is
on the Red Knot. Pat Leary and his wife Doris spend an enormous
amount of volunteer time looking for, gathering data, and docu-
menting the goings-on of the Red Knots in this area. This species
is a ―Threatened species‖ candidate, and is in real trouble. Their
numbers have dropped dramatically over the last 10 years, from
greater than 100,000 individuals to less than 20,000. All this in
just 10 years. Please come to April’s program and learn about this
special bird.
As to changes at Huguenot, last December I and seven other vol-
unteers traveled to Tallahassee to speak before the Architectural
Review Committee (ARC). They oversee the plan on how to man-
age Huguenot to best protect the resources and make it a safe place
for park visitors. Your chapter is committed to assisting the city of
The Audubon Observer, Volume XII, No. 4
Birds & Breakfast
Saturday, May 15, 7:30pm
On Saturday, May 15, DAS will have its annual breakfast meet-
ing at the Powell farm in Orangedale. You may come at 8 AM
to bird or fish.
Breakfast will be at 9 AM, followed by a short meeting, and then
we will go out to look for birds. Bring a breakfast dish; coffee
will be provided. We always have a feast!
Directions: Take SR13 (San Jose Blvd.) south to Orangedale
down in St. Johns County. Turn left on 16A at the traffic light
and go about 4 miles to Hardwood Landing Road. Turn right on
the blacktop road, go straight to the big gate with Powell's name
over it, and drive in. If you are coming from US1 or I-95, take
SR210 west to 16A. Turn back east (left) on 16A and go about
3.5 miles to Hardwood Landing.
The telephone # at the farm is 522-1514. Hope to see you there!.
Jacksonville with making the mandated changes. In 2009, bol-
lards were put up on the inlet side to restrict driving to a driving
lane. Currently, ARC wants the city to come up with a section of
the beach that will be permanently closed to driving. People will
still have access to this area, just not by motorized vehi-
cle. Audubon is encouraging the city to permanently close the
north point area, which will create a safer, car-free area for peo-
ple and birds. I’m excited and encouraged by the changes at Hu-
guenot. If you haven’t been out to this park in awhile, I encour-
age you to visit. Please let me know what you think of the
changes.
--Lesley Royce
Biologists ask public to
report spawning horseshoe crabs
This spring, biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conser-
vation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
need help from the public to identify horseshoe crab spawning
beaches throughout the state.
The best time to find spawning horseshoe crabs is around high
tide, just before, during or after a full moon. The full moon con-
ditions around March 30 and April 28 will create good conditions
for viewing the spawning behavior of horseshoe crabs.
The FWC asks beachgoers to report the number of horseshoe
crabs they see and whether the horseshoe crabs are mating. Mat-
ing crabs ―pair up,‖ with the smaller male on top of the larger
female. Other male crabs may be present around the couple. Bi-
ologists also want to know the date, time, location, habitat type
and environmental conditions, such as tides and moon phase. If
possible, specify roughly how many are coupled and how many
are juveniles (4 inches wide or smaller).
People can report sightings through one of several convenient
options. Go to http://research.MyFWC.com/horseshoe_crab and
fill out an online survey; e-mail findings to
horseshoe@MyFWC.com; or call the FWC at 866-252-9326.
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April Field Trips
Ft. George / Kingsley Plantation
Sunday, Apr 18 2010 Leader: Laura Johannsen
Spring migration will be ramping up at this time of year and Ft.
George Island is one of the best places in town to run into a variety
of warblers, vireos, tanagers, buntings, and who knows what else.
We will start our morning at the Ribault Club area, walking the
trails in that vicinity and checking the boat ramp behind the club
for shore and marsh birds. We plan to move to the Kingsley Plan-
tation later in the morning to check the hot spots there. So, if you
are not an early riser, please plan to join us whenever you can.
We’ll see what the birds and the group decide as to where to
munch lunch and which direction to go afterwards.
I do plan on getting there early by 6am to listen and look for owls.
Bring water, lunch, snacks, bug spray, sunscreen, binoculars,
scopes, etc.
Contact me at home: 757-8894 or on my cell: 982-5710.
Meeting Time & Directions: 7am, Fort George Island Ribault
Club Parking lot. From SR9A go north (east) on SR105, Heck-
scher Drive. Turn left onto Ft. George Road about ½ mile past the
St. John’s River Ferry, look for the brown sign for Kingsley Plan-
tation. When you get to the fork in the road take the right fork. The
Ribault Club will be on your right, white building with black fence
surrounding the property. There is limited parking on the right
side, but plenty on the left side of the road.
NOTE: Cell phone service can be spotty on the island, please call
my home number if you have questions.
.
Red Knot Search at Huguenot Park
Saturday, Apr 24 2010 Leader: Lesley Royce
This park is an amazing bird area…so amazing that Audubon has
it listed as an IBA (Important Bird Area). Red Knots, and many
other shorebirds, stop off at Huguenot during migration. Find out
where in the park are the best places to look for Red Knots, and in
the process, see the many other birds that visit this park. Some
birds, like the Royal Terns, actually stay here during the summer
months, and their numbers are increasing as nesting season ap-
proaches.
If you haven’t been to this park recently, you will be pleasantly
surprised at the changes the city has made to protect the
birds. This is an opportunity to see the dynamics of this area and
learn the role this park plays in the survival of the Red Knot.
Meeting Time & Directions: 8a.m. at Huguenot Memorial Park,
10980 Heckscher Dr., Jacksonville, FL. After turning into the park
from Heckscher Drive, drive to the stop sign. Drive straight after
the stop sign (into the parking lot), instead of turning right at the
entrance building of the park. We will carpool into the park. En-
trance fee is $1/person. If you have any questions, call leader Les-
ley Royce on her cell at 904-945-1939.
The Audubon Observer, Volume XII, No. 4
May Field Trips
Jennings State Forest: Bartram’s Ixia and
Bachman’s Sparrow Search
Saturday, May 1 2010 Leader: Pete Johnson
Group to meet at 7:00 a.m. at
McDonalds Restaurant in Middleburg on
State Road 21, north of County Road
218. Main targets will be Bachman's
Sparrows (rare bird) and Bartram's Ixia
(rare plant). Last year we were very
successful finding Bachman's Sparrows,
but not Bartram's ixia. This year the Ixia
Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Soci-
ety is joining us, so we better produce some Calydorea coelestina
(aka Bartram's Ixia)! The scientific name says much more about
the plant than the common name. The genus name is from the
Greek words caly, meaning "sheathed", and dorea, meaning
"spear". The species name is from Greek or Latin (not sure) word
coelestis, meaning heavenly or celestial. When Calydorea coeles-
tina plants are seen blooming by the thousands in freshly burned
pine flatwoods, heavenly visions and celestial bodies come to
mind!
Area Events
Join us on Saturday, April 10th for the
First Annual Northeast Florida Bird-a-thon
Our Goal – find at least 150 bird species.
Let’s celebrate our accomplishments in the region and
Audubon of Florida for their support in NE FL.
Your $20 donation includes
participation in the Bird-a-thon (see The Rules below)
picnic hamburger/hot dog lunch (by Chef Ned)
entry into the prizes drawing (one free ticket)
and will benefit bird conservation in Northeast Florida!
The day will start with Birding Teams finding as many species as
possible. Teams will head out at or before sunrise and meet at the
picnic by 1:30 to have their checklists included in the totals. For
those not inclined to the birding at sunrise, you can still join us for
the picnic!
The picnic is scheduled for 1:30 and includes hamburger/hotdogs
and the fixins. Please bring a salad, veggie or dessert with you to
help out with the meal. We’ll be providing non-alcoholic bever-
ages. Bring a folding chair.
Location for picnic: Monique’s office at the Coastal Policy
Center, 9601 Oceanshore Blvd, Marineland. One story flat-roofed
building on West side of A1A, just south of blinking traffic light.
Please RSVP to Monique at mborboen@audubon.org , 904 813
5115.
If you cannot participate but would like to contribute, send your
donation to: Audubon of Florida, 9601 Oceanshore Blvd, St.
Augustine, FL 32080.
3
Area Events (Continued)
Every person donating $20 and above will be entered into the
prizes drawing!
THE RULES
Form a Team (can be as few as 1-2 people – or solo it!).
Although not required, it would be great if you can ask your
local buddies for pledges to support the cause (i.e. 5 cents/
specie).
Count all species seen from at or before sunrise through 1:00
pm.
You can count birds anywhere you can find them (your back-
yard) for as long a time period as you desire, but ending by
1:00. You could be the team getting the most species!
You don’t have to count birds just in St Johns County, as we
need species that are rare for our county, such as Greater
White-Fronted Goose, Mississippi Kite, Fl Scrub Jay and Red
-headed Woodpecker. All ABA species count! Your own
backyard feeder might be hosting birds not normally seen out
in the field (buntings, orioles, hummingbirds), so count all
that you can.
Bring or email your check list to Monique
mborboen@audubon.org by 2.00 pm with your $20 per per-
son participant fee to assure inclusion in Grand Total Species
List and the prize drawing.
Our Bird Judge will review the checklists for all species.
Florida Master Naturalist Program
REGISTRATION CLOSES May 3, 2010. The University of
Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Florida Master
Naturalist Program Coastal Systems Module sponsored by Duval
County Extension and the GTM NERR will be offered May 10,
12, 14, 17, 19, and 21, 2010. Classroom sessions will be held at
the Guana, Tolomato, Matanzas National Estuarine Research Re-
serve, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Topics include: ecosystems
(coastal uplands, estuarine, and marine), key plants and wildlife,
and the role of humans in shaping the environment. Each module
includes classroom presentations, videos, field trips, and practical
interpretation. Advance registration is required. Course fee is
$225. Course instructors are Brad Burbaugh and Carol Wyn-
inger. Student requirements include attendance, participation, and
enthusiasm! For registration and program information contact the
web site www.masternaturalist.org. For further questions contact
Carol Wyninger at (904) 220-0232, wyninger@comcast.net; or
Brad Burbaugh at (904) 387-8850, burbaugh@coj.net.
Wild Amelia Nature Festival, May 21-23, 2010
This exciting 3-day festival of our bioregion around Amelia Is-
land, includes numerous nature tours led by area naturalists and
Park Rangers, nature photography workshops taught by local pro-
fessionals, a green business expo, The 'Kids Niche' nature-based
activities for children, live music, critters from the Jacksonville
Zoo, stargazing and more! Visit http://www.wildamelia.com/ for
more information.
Jacksonville, FL 32245
P.o. Box 16304
Duval Audubon Society